Relay



mwmw I J. F. MERKEL' RELAY Original Filed Jan. 28, 19559 mmr INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 7, 1941 RELAY Joseph F. Merkel, Rochester, N. Y., assignor to General Railway Signal Company, Rochester,

Original application January 28, 1939, Serial No. 253,383. Divided and this application June 14, 1840, Serial No. 340,551

3 Claims.

This invention relates, in general, to improvements in relays, and has more particular reference to improvements in the so-called Type-B line of relays, for use more particularly in connection with railway operation.

The present application is a division of my application, Ser. No. 253,383, filed January 28, 1939, for Relays, now Patent No. 2,258,122, granted October '7, 1941.

One object of the present invention is to provide an improved adjusting means :for varying the resilient bias on the relay armature.

Further objects, purposes and characteristic features of this invention will appear as the description progresses, reference being made to the accompanying drawing showing, solely by way of example, and in no manner whatsoever in a limiting sense, one form which the invention can assume.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side sectional elevation, with parts shown in elevation of a portion of a relay embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective, exploded, view, of the armature biasing means.

Fig. 3 is an exploded view of the armature biasing means.

The relay essentially comprises an insulating base member 4, a housing 5, which is preferably made of transparent material such as any usual or desired thermal plastic substance, which fits into an annular groove 4 in the base 4. The housing 5, and the base 4, are held together, and are held onto a support by means of long through bolts 6 which are clamped to the support and carry on their outer ends, holding nuts 8.

Carried by base member 4, by means of screws 9, are two cores l0, magnetically interconnected by a back strap II, and each carrying a winding l 2 held in place by a leaf spring l8. At the outer end of each core I0, is a pole shoe l3, which cooperates in the usual manner with an armature I4, carrying a residual pin l5, and pivoted at IE, to a fixed member H. The fixed member I1 is held between the pole shoes l3, by means of screws or the like I9.

The pivoted armature l4, carries an adjustable stop screw 20, for determining its retracted position, and this armature is biased to its retracted, or deenergized, position, by means of a spring 2|, carried on a threaded rod 22, which, at its lower end, is screwed into the fixed member IT. The means for adjusting the tension of spring 2 constitutes one of the features of the present invention, and will be described in detail, below.

The armature carries an operating member 23, which is received in a slot 24, in a contact operator 25, for moving the contact operator, and with it the usual movable contact fingers.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 2 and 3, there is here shown the improved means for adjusting spring 2|, which, as can be seen from Fig. 1, biases the armature M to its deenergized, or released, position. This spring 2| is sleeved on the rod 22 which, atits upper end, is threaded as at 22 and is slotted longitudinally as at 82, from its outer end to a considerable distance inwardly. This slot 82 receives a follower F, which is a flat plate-like member having a lower portion 83 of a width to be received within the spring 2|, with diametrically opposed extending arms 84, which extend beyond the spring 2| and bear against the upper end thereof. The follower F is completed by an upper portion 85, which is of a size to be received in the threaded central bore 86, in adjusting nut N, the bore 86 being threadable onto the end 22 of the rod. Nut N has an outer knurled portion 81 and a reduced inner portion 88, of a size to be received within the spring 2|, the nut being slotted by two transverse slots 89 and 90 positioned preferably at 90 from each other so as to receive the arms 84, of follower F, in either of two positions.

With the arrangement as described just above, when it is desired to vary the tension of the spring 2| as, for example, to increase it, it is necessary merely to push the follower F in its slot in the threaded stem, to compress the spring, and then to turn nut N on the threaded stem to the proper position and permit the follower F to be urged by the spring 2| toward the nut to cause the arms 84 to enter one of the slots 89 or 90. In this manner, all parts are locked in adjusted position and the adjustment cannot be accidentally changed. This follows, since the threaded stem 22 is in fixed position, the follower is locked to the stem by the slot in the stem and the nut is locked to the stem by the follower. It is obvious, of course, in' order to decrease the tension of the spring, that the nut can be eased off, and the same general procedure followed.

It should be noted that the locking of all of the parts has been accomplished without the need for a wrench, or other tool, for producing high degrees of friction between parts, and also so that a subsequent adjustment can be made by hand without the use of any special tools, as a wrench.

Thus, a securely locked adjusting means for a biasing spring for the armature has been provided, which has no binding parts, and which, for its manipulation, requires no special tools or equipment, other than the hand.

The above rather specific description of one form of the present invention, has been given solely by way of example, and is not intended, in any manner whatsoever, in a limiting sense. It should be understood that this application is intended to cover all such modifications, adapta tions and variations as may prove desirable or expedient, except insofar as they are specifically excluded by a reasonable interpretation of the appended claims. I

Having described my invention, I now claim:

1. In a relay, an adjustable biasing means for an armature comprising, a threaded stem fixed in position, a coil spring sleeved on the stem and adapted to bear at one of its ends on the armature, a longitudinal slot in the free end of the stem and extending inwardly a considerable distance thereof, a follower freely slidable in the slot, arms on the follower extending outwardly to each side well beyond the spring and bearing against the other end of the spring, a nut threaded on the end of the stem, the follower arms extending to each side well beyond the edge of the nut, and a transverse slot in the nut for receiving the follower arms whereby to lock the nut to the stem.

2. In a relay, an adjustable biasing means for the armature comprising a threaded stem fixed in position, a coil spring sleeved on the stem and adapted to bear at one of its ends on the arma ture, a longitudinal slot in the free end of the stem and extending inwardly thereof a consider= able distance, a follower freely slidable in the slot, arms on the follower extending outwardly to each side well beyond the spring and bearing against the other end of the spring, a nut threaded on the end of the stem, the follower arms extending to each side well beyond the edges of the nut, a transverse slot in the nut for receiving the follower arms whereby to lock the nut to the stem, and a central boss extending inwardly of the nut and receivable within the spring, the follower, below the arms, being snugly receivable in the spring.

3. In a relay, an adjustable biasing means for an armature, comprising, a threaded stem fixed in position, a coil spring sleeved on the stem and adapted to bear at one of its ends against the armature, a longitudinal slot in the free end of the stem and extending inwardly a considerable distance, a follower slidable in the slot and bearing against the other end of the spring, a slotted nut threaded on the stem beyond the follower, the follower having a portion to fit into the slot in the nut, and having portions extending beyond the spring and the nut on each side, whereby a quick action lockable spring tension adjusting means is produced.

JOSEPH F. MERKEL. 

